An Intervention of Sorts
by akan00dle
Summary: After Harry quits his Auror training, Professor McGonagall comes to see him.


Minerva McGonagall arrived at the Burrow at 11:45 precisely. She had always thought it important to be punctual even if many of her students did not. McGonagall prided herself on reaching every student she had taught but it was a rarity that any were interested in the value of good timekeeping and never being late for appointments.

This wasn't a formal appointment however. She wasn't quite sure what the correct term for it was, an intervention was close.

She walked down the front path through the Weasleys' front garden and tapped lightly on the door twice.

Molly Weasley answered the door after only a moment and smiled softly before stepping aside to allow McGonagall entry.

"Thank you for coming so soon. I don't know what happened but we were hoping that you might be able to get through with him. You were his teacher and head of house for se- six years after all."

McGonagall nodded. She had a feeling she knew what had happened and, assuming she was correct of course, thought she would be able to help Harry.

Mrs Weasley lead McGonagall to the kitchen.

"Make yourself at home," McGonagall sat down while Mrs Weasley poured out two cups of tea. She brought them over to the table. "Harry should be down in a minute."

Harry was one of the many students who'd never learned the value of punctuality.

McGonagall sipped her tea while she waited and less than a minute later the door creaked open behind her.

She turned to face the boy and was taken aback by what she saw. Harry looked terrible.

She supposed she had seen him in much worse states but the battle had been months ago and Harry had been staying with the Weasleys since then so she had been expecting him to at least look the picture of health. Instead he was pale. There were dark bags under his age and his hair was somehow even messier than usual.

McGonagall took a moment to collect herself.

"Take a seat, Mr Potter."

Harry nodded and sat down in the chair opposite her. The way he hung his head and looked at his lap, he resembled the school boy sent to the teachers office. Well she shouldn't be surprised, she had been his teacher up until very recently after all.

She slid the tea across the table to him.

"I never took you to be a quitter, Mr Potter."

Harry's head shot up. His eyes were wide. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Uh.. I..."

She continued, "Only two weeks of Auror training before you left."

Harry nodded. He wasn't going to deny it when he knew she had been told the facts of the matter.

"I thought you wanted to be an Auror."

Harry bit his lip. "I did- I do. I mean... I don't know any more."

McGonagall took another sip of her tea and nodded for him to go on.

"I wanted to be an Auror... back then I really did but... but it's like... like I'm a completely different person to who I was then."

"You are. That boy was just a child. That boy hadn't been through half of what you've been through now."

Harry took a sip of his own beverage. "I guess you're right." He smiled, looking down into his tea cup. "Honestly a nice cushy office job sounds pretty good right about now."

McGonagall smiled. It seemed she was right. "Or a teaching job..."

Harry looked up at that and raised one eyebrow behind his mop of messy black hair.

"Hermione has told me you're a natural and you certainly know your subject."

"My... subject?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts. As you know, we haven't yet managed to fill the position again."

Harry set his cup back down on the table. "You want me to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

"If that's what you'd like."

Harry looked away. "I... I don't know if I could..."

McGonagall reached forward and placed her hand on his. He flinched as she touched him and looked back round.

"It wouldn't be for almost a year of course as school has already started back."

Harry nodded and looked down at his lap again.

"I'll think about it." There was a slight pull of his lips as he spoke.

"That's all I ask."

They finished their tea in companionable silence, the headmistress and her former student.

Mrs Weasley came back in a few minutes later, a smile on her face. Of course she had listened in on every word.

McGonagall left shortly after. She glanced back as she left the Burrow to see Harry watching her from the window, smiling.

He was going to be okay. And she was going to do her damnedest to make sure it happened sooner rather than later.

* * *

A/N: So I know I'm not the only one who thought Harry becoming an Auror made no sense for his character or the story. So here's what I imagined happened instead.

It doesn't say what happened to make him quit training but I imagine PTSD kicked in and after that Harry realised becoming an Auror wasn't what he really wanted any more anyway.


End file.
